diverse qualitie of both Priest-hoods The Priest-hood which is everlasting and abideth for ever is more excellent than that which is momentany and continueth but for a time Christs Priest-hood is eternall the Leviticall Priest-hood lasted but for a time ergo This Argument hath two branches the comparison betweene them 23.24 and an effect 25. the comparison is in the number and continuance That the Priest-hood of the Levites was temporarie is evinced by the relatives If the Priests continued but a time then the Priest-hood but they continued but for a time which is illustrated by the number of them and the reason of the number And they verily being many were made Priests And why were they many because they were forbidden by death to endure Death would not suffer them to continue long therefore it was necessary that there should bee many of them one to supply the roome of the other There were not onely many inferiour Priests but many high Priests not at one and the same time but successively After Aaron came Eleazar after him Phinees c. for the same cause there be many Kings one King succeedeth another because death will not suffer them to live death forbids them to abide He brings an inhibition against their continuance I command thee here to stay and to goe no further and all Kings Priests Lawyers Physitians must obey him A paucity is a greater argument of perfection then a multitude The kingdome is better governed that hath one King then that which hath many that house is better ruled that hath one Master then many the world is better with one Sun then if there were many the Phaenix is the most famous of all birds because there is but one of them at a time God being but one is farre more glorious then man being many So is it betweene the Priests of the Law and CHRIST they were many but CHRIST is but one which remaineth alwayes therefore his Priest-hood is more excellent than theirs But why were they many because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death As it is here said of the Levites So it may be said of us all A man walking in London streets or in a corporation is on the suddaine arrested by a Sergeant and commanded to stay so as wee are walking in our race in the world comes death as the LORDS Sergeant and bids us stay here yeeld up thy life I will not suffer thee to tarry any longer Adam was the ancientest man that ever was the first that breathed on the earth yet hee was not suffered to endure by reason of death Methusalem was the longest liv'd man that ever was he lived almost a thousand yeeres yet dyed Sampson a mighty strong man with the jaw-bone of an Asse he slew a thousand Philistims he carryed away the great Gates of the Citty on his Shoulders yet he was arrested by death Saul a goodly tall man higher than any of the people Absalom a faire beautifull man not a blemish in him from the Crowne of his head to the soale of his foote Salomon the wisest man that ever was Saint Paul a learned man he spake with tongues more than they all a profound divine taken up into the third heaven a painfull and powerfull Preacher he converted a great part of the world to Christ yet they were not suffered to continue by reason of death This is the condition of us all high and low rich and poore learned and unlearned none of us all can bee suffered to endure long by reason of death Death is a cooling Card in all our mirth and jollity that comes at length with his Axe and cuts all downe Kings are not suffered to endure by reason of death there is a succession of Kings as well as of other men Dukes Earles Lords Knights Gentlemen are not suffered rich Merchants Lawyers Divines Physitians are not suffered to continue by reason of death The Physition that hath saved the life of many in the end surrenders his life into Deaths hands none of us can endure here long by reason of death The Priests of the Law dyed and the Ministers of the Gospell must dye none but CHRIST endures for ever therefore seeing Death will not suffer us long to tarry here let us so live the little and uncertaine time wee have in this world that wee may live eternally with Christ our everlasting Priest and Saviour in the world to come VERSE 24. HEre in the Priest-hood of Christ there is but one Priest and why because hee is not mortall and taken away by Death as they were but immortall and endureth for ever Indeed in respect of his humanity he dyed but hee continued not long in that death not past three dayes and three nights After he rose againe sitteth now at the right hand of God and lives for ever whole Christ both God and man Rom. 6.9 whereas the Priests in the Law shall not live againe for ever in their bodies till the day of judgement And our Saviour Christ in respect of his deity endureth for ever continually and therefore hee hath an everlasting Priest-hood intransibile which passeth not by succession from one to another as the Leviticall Priest-hood did but continueth for ever in the person of one man Chrysost. expounds it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee hath not a succeeding Priest-hood In the time of the Law there were many sacrificing Priests but now in the time of the Gospell there is but one sacrificing Priest and that is our SAVIOUR CHRIST which offered one sacrifice once for the sinnes of the world This cutâ—eth off the whole rabble of the massemonging Priests Indeed spiritually wee are all Priests Apoc. 1.6 to offer spirituall sacrifices to God but there is no Priest to offer an externall sacrifice for sin but Christ. The Iesuites chafe at us for this collection yet it is firme VERSE 25. THe eternity of Christs Priest-hood is illustrated by an effect that ensueth thereupon As he is willing so he is able Also which necessarily is inferred on the other To save all that belong to him Thence hee hath his name Iesus because he saveth Matth. 1.21 This is amplified 1. By the manner how he saveth us 2. By the description of them whom he saveth 3. By the cause why he is able to doe it For the manner wholly omnino leaving no part of our salvation to be accomplished by others Acts 4. Verse 12. he needs not the helpe of the Virgin Mary of Thomas c. he can save us wholy of himselfe They that are saved are such as come to God by him not by the Virgin by any Saints or Angell in heaven The reason why because he ever liveth to make intercession for us he discharges the office of a Priest for us still in heaven Romans 8.26 it is said that the Holy Ghost maketh intercession for us yet the HOLY GHOST is not our Mediatour hee doth not in our nature pray for us as Christ doth but
carnall that is impotent and beggarly rudiments Gal. 4.9 which served for the institution of the rude and ignorant people of the Iewes they did teach nothing but served onely for the honourable maintenance of them that taught the people 2. They bee no types of an holy thing in CHRIST and his kingdome they did signifie nothing to come in Christ or in his kingdome 3. They were not instituted for the service of the tabernacle but assigned to it for a time 4. They were not to cease at the time of reformation for still they are retained in the Church as the maintenance of the Ministery which the Church should not doe if it were a ceremony that should end at the comming of Christ. Here is no institution or assignation of tithes but a declaration of the Lords right I doe you no wrong in assigning the tithes to Levi for they be mine and not yours They are holy to the Lord that is separate from the use of men So that it is sacriledge to take them away Here is an assignation of them to the tribe of Levi only for the time of their service at the tabernacle Here we may see what is ceremoniall what perpetual in tithes This proposition all tithes are the Lords is perpetuall the assignation of them to the Levits in the second place is ceremoniall that is Levitically ceremoniall for if there bee any ceremony in tithes it is a Leviticall ceremony Object Sacrifices were in use before the Leviticall and ceremoniall law yet they are ceremonies So are tithes though paid before the Law Sol. Sacrificing it selfe is in the law of nature but particular ordinances for the manner of sacrificing are ceremoniall So the paiment of tithes is in the law of nature but certaine particular ordinances for the paiment of them are in the ceremoniall law Yet there is a difference betweene sacrifices and tithes 1. In the propriety Tithes are ever the LORDâ— sacrifices are not his till they be offered to him before the man that offers them hath a right in them When a man offers a sacrifice hee offers of his owne when he gives tithes he gives that to the Lord which is the Lords In not sacrificing godlinesse is violated in not paying tithes not only godlines but Iustice also is violated Now a ceremonie standeth not in paying to God that which is his but in giving to God that which is thine owne 2. In the end Sacrificing is to signifie the great sacrifice on the crosse for the sinnes of the world The end of tithes is not to signifie any thing but is the honour and maintenance of the Ministery and therefore they are to remaine so long as the Ministery remaineth That assignation of tithes to Levi or that lease being expired they returne to their proper right againe that is to CHRIST which liveth for ever Hebrewes 7. Verse 8 for though it bee first true in Melchizedec the type who in respect of the silence of his death is said to live yet most of all is it verefied of Christ. The service of the tabernacle being abrogated the assignation of tithes to the Levites is voyd but the propriety of them ever was and is in the Lord for his Ministers Improperly to speake the assignation of tithes was ceremoniall that is appertaining to the ceremoniall law but properly to speake there is nothing ceremoniall in the paying of tithes for in it there is no carnall type of an holy thing neither in the Leviticall nor Evangelicall ministery There is no proofe in all the New Testament for any other ordinarie maintenance of the Ministery therefore tithes remaine still the ordinary maintenance He that preacheth the Gospell must live on the Gospell Somewhat more sparingly then the Priests did in the time of the Law They are injurious to the Ministers of the Gospell that will say so If they had the tenth part of the peoples goods shall we have lesse Gal. 6.6 Let him that is taught in the Word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things Though tithes were buried for a season in persecution yet they were resumed and established againe in the Church in all ages as appeareth by the Fathers and Councells till the Pope comming to the height of his usurped autoritie exempted some from paying of tithes and made impropriations In the defence of whose unjust dealing first Alexander de Hales then Aquinas and all the Schoolemen contended that tithes were judicialls yet they are still due de jure though de facto the Ministers of the Gospell are deprived of them for tithes are morall by divine institution Mat. 23.23 there tithes have Christ his approbation as a thing that ought to be done where there is an opposition betweene things of the same kinde the greatest morall things are in mercy and judgement and the least morall things in paying the least tithes Luk. 18.12 tithes are morall as fasting is The causes remaining the things must still remaine but the causes of giving tithes remaines still ergo 1. It was an acknowledgement that they had all from GOD and ought all to him Levi. 27.30 So must we doe still 2. That thereby they might learne to feare God who otherwise might bring sterility and other plagues on the land Deut. 14.23 So we must doe still Nazianz. imputes the haile to this de calamitate per grandinem 3. That the Priests and Levites having no other maintenance might have this to sustaine them in their office the Ministers of the Gospell cannot be husbandmen clothyers they cannot waite on tables but must give themselves to the Word and prayer therefore it is meete they should have the same maintenance still 2. Quest. Who they be that must pay tithes All high and low rich and poore husbandmen and Clothyers because the payment of thithes belongs to justitiam commutativam in qua non consideratur conditio personae sed qualitas rei ad rem 2. The poore have benefit by the Ministery as well as the rich the Clothyer hath as great benefit by the preaching of the Word as the Husbandman hath therefore why should not he give as largely to the maintenance of the Preacher as an other In law they may have a shift but in equitie and conscience they have none let him that is taught in the Word but the Clothyer is taught in the Word therefore hee that teacheth him should have as deepe a part in his goods as in the goods of an other man Shall the poore Farmer pay all to the Minister and the rich Clothyer nothing Shall he that sits in the lower end of the Church pay and hee that sits in the upper end not 3. Quest. Whereof we must pay tithes Some things are due to the Ministers ex justitia some ex dono as houses and gleebe land 1. God hath given us all and shall it grieve us to give him for his Ministers the tenth part 2. Give to Caesar the things that are Caesars
blessing takes away veniall sinnes But that sounds ill for the bloud of CHRIST taketh away all sin yet there is great force and efficacy in the blessing of faithfull Ministers their curse if it bee lawfull is terrible The Children whom Elisha cursed were torne in pieces with Beares and their blessing is powerfull and effectuall when they preach God preaches and when they blesse GOD blesseth Therefore they that runne out of the Church before the blessing despise GOD Himselfe GOD by us blesseth you and will you not set a straw by this blessing 2. To blesse is taken for giving of thankes So wee blesse God we give him thankes for all his mercies 3. To blesse is to consecrate a thing to an holy use So God blessed the seaventh day So the Cup is called the Cup of blessing because it was blessed by Christ and set apart to an heavenly use This is a lively demonstration of the Ministers superioritie above the people without all contradiction wee blesse you you are blessed of us therefore wee are greater than you Isaac blessed Iacob therefore he was greater than Iacob Iacob blessed his twelve sonnes therefore he was greater than they we as spirituall fathers blesse you therefore we are greater than you Some of you may bee more honourable more worshipfull more wealthy then wee yet in respect of our office wee are greater than you If there be a Gentleman a Knight a Lord an Earle in the Parish he must bee willing to be blessed by the Minister we as Gods deputies blesse you in the name of the Lord in that respect wee are your superiours highly to bee esteemed and reverenced of you all You are to receive us not simply as men but as men of God for we are spirituall fathers that blesse you in the name of God and are as Gods armes to pull you up into the kingdome of heaven VERSE 8. NOw he comes to the amplification of Melchizedech's greatnesse by comparing him with the Levites The 1. argument to proove Melchizedech's advancement above the Levits is layd downe in this verse he that is immortall is greater than they that be mortall Melchizedec is immortall the Levites are mortall ergo They dying had those that succeeded them we read of no successour that Melchizedech had because if we respect the historie he lives still Heere that is in the Leviticall priesthood though they be superiour to the people yet they dye as the people doe But there that is in Melchizedech Though the ministers as God his Lievtenants in spirituall matters receive tithes and in that respect are above the people yet they must not be puffed up with pride and swell against their brethren Heere is a cooling card for us all They that take tithes dye as well as they that give tithes the most famous ministers in the world dye Noah a preacher of righteousnesse he was saved in the Arke when all the world was drowned yet he dyed Moses a renowned prophet brought up in all the learning of the Egyptians catechized and instructed by God himselfe with whom the Lord talked familiarly as one friend with an other yet he dyed Elias and Elisha were worthy men honoured of all in their time the chariots and horsemen of Israel yet they dyed Iohn Baptist was admired of all all Iudea came flocking to him yet he dyed The Apostles were taught by Christ's owne mouth the Holy Ghost descended on them in the similitude of Cloven tongues they were the silver trumpets that carryed the sound of the Gospell over all the world yet they dyed Let not the high and magnificent office which we susteine in the church because wee stand in a pulpit of wood as Ezra did above all the people because we are as Gods stewards to dispose the food of eternal life to them let not this make us proud though we be as perfect Scribes in the Law of the God of heaven as Ezra was as eloquent a man and mightie in the Scriptures as Apollos as learned a man as Paul was that spake with tongues more than they al as powerful a Preacher as Elias or Iohn Baptist as thundering a Preacher as the Sons of Bonerges Though thou haddest the Bible by heart as Origen had of as great variety of reading as Athanasius yet die thou must They that receive tithes dye yea all other receivers dye too Though thou beest a Lawyer that receivest many hundred Angels in a yeere though a Merchant that receivest much by traffike a Clothier that receivest a great deale by thy Clothes a Physition that receivest much by thy physicke though a Gentleman a Nobleman that receivest great rents per annum it may be a thousand two thousand three thousand pounds nay though a King that receivest much by the crowne lands by taxes subsidies by imposts and other meanes how great a receiver soever thou beest the grave must one day receive thee all must dye givers and receivers too Therefore let us so live the short time we have to tarry here that whensoever death comes the Angels may receive our soules and carry them up into Abrahams bosome On the other side Melchizedec and Christ live for ever hee Secundum historiam Christ Secundum veritatem Our King our High-Priest lives continually In respect of his humanity he dyed and gave up the Ghost on the Crosse but in respect of his deity he lives for ever of his life and kingdome there is no end Which may be a singular comfort to all that belong to him Our friends dye our fathers and mothers dye our Ministers and Preachers dye our Magistrates and Governours dye but Christ Iesus the Protectour of the Church never dyeth He lives for ever and will provide for those that appertaine to him Though we heare of the death of never so many good men yet let us not be cast downe with griefe Christ our Saviour liveth for ever VERSE 9. THe second argument whereby the Apostle proves that Melchizedec is greater than the Levites the Levites payd tithes to him ergo he is greater than they therefore Melchizedec must needs be a great man Because this might seeme to bee too acute more subtile than solid the Apostle mollifies it If I may so speake if I may use so light a reason as it may seeme in so weighty a matter The reason is pregnant and needeth no excuse therefore translate it and to say as the thing is The tithe-taker was a tithe-giver Which was wont to receive tithes A participle of the present tense imports an use and custome as Matth. 17.24.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may bee put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet here it hath his force by Abraham as a meane betweene them both as one that came betweene them Here wee see wee may doe many things before we are borne All wee sinned in Adam When hee eate of the forbidden Tree we eat of it when he was banished out of Paradise we were banished when he pulled the wrath of
Gospell of Christ are now changed they now receive Mahomet for their God and Saviour England which was once rude and barbarous is now become civill and religious The time was when Church-men were the greatest men in this kingdome now the Lawyers carry all away but that naile of the Cart wheele which is now aloft may hereafter be in the dirt Daily experience teacheth us what changes there be in townes and citties A towne that had many wise and grave governours in it hath now scarce any that will looke to the government of the towne A towne which a whyle agoe was wealthy a great number of rich men in it in the turning of an hand becomes poore and beggarlie Men themselves change sometimes they love sometimes hate sometimes they are whole sometimes sicke one while in their thousands as Iob was shortly after scant worth a Groat Here is nothing but changing The Leviticall Priest-hood was changed and there shall be a change of the Ministery of the Gospell too the time shall come when as there shall be no Churches to goe to no Scriptures to read over no Ministers to preach to us and shew us the way to heaven for when wee be in the celestiall Ierusalem what need shal we have of the Ships and Charrets that carry us thither when we be in heaven we shall not need the ladder of the Ministery to climbe up into heaven Nay there shall be a change of the world it selfe the earth whereon wee tread shall bee changed this earth shall be burnt with all the workes thereof the Sunne the Moone the Starres the goodly firmament over our heads shall be changed they all waxe old as doth a garment and as a vesture shalt thou change them yet here is nothing but labouring for these changeable things these reeds feathers weather-cockes these fading flowers are the chiefest things wee seeke after there is moyling and toyling for these men are at daggers drawing for them all our striving and contending is about them as for the favour of God in CHRIST the blessed hope of our election and salvation in the kingdome of heaven few strive for them Peradventure wee wish to bee in heaven as Balaam did but we strive not for it as we ought to doe all that we hunt after is silver and gold houses and lands the trash of this transitory world but we seeke not for that which is unchangeable and lasteth for ever In other things wee cannot away with change we would not willingly take a piece of Cloth which wee know will change the colour We all know that this miserable world will change colour the glory thereof will fade away yet we are most greedy of it Who will buy an house that hee knowes will change and that speedily that stands to day and is ready to fall to morrow Such an house is this world yet there is nothing but beating our braines about it all things in this world are changeable therefore let us love them and use them as if we loved and used them not Let us especially long after that change when Christ shall change our vile bodies and make them like his glorious body where wee shall remaine with him without change for ever and ever VERSE 13. THe law being taken away with the Priest-hood hee comes againe to proove the change of the Priest-hood à pari The Tribe is changed therefore the Priest-hood The Leviticall Priests were all of the Tribe of Levi this is not of that Tribe but of another To whom these things are referred as to their scope and marke Spoken in the Psalme that is the promised Messias for the Iewes themselves confesse that the Psalmist speakes this of him Matth. 22. ver 46. Is partaker of another Tribe As the Levites did None of that Tribe did therefore he could not Did so much as draw neere to the Altar gave themselves to the Altar medled with the Altar Temple or Ceremonies All the Priests in the time of the law were of the Tribe of Levi Our Saviour Christ is a Priest as the Scripture testifieth of him thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec yet he is not of the Tribe of Levi therefore that Priest-hood is abolished and Christ's Priest-hood is to continue another Priest is risen up that is not of the order of Aaron Christ pertaineth to another tribe whereof none served at the Altar The Altar being a principall part of the Leviticall service is put for the whole All the lawfull Ministers of the Old Testament were of the Tribe of Levi this is an axiome in this place Sundry of the Pharises which were interpreters of the Law were not of the Tribe of Levi. Saint Paul was a Pharisee yet of the tribe of Benjamin notwithstanding our Saviour wills the people to heare them therefore though Ministers are not such sometime as were to be wished yet so long as they preach sound doctrine they are to be heard that by the way What though he appertaine to another Tribe yet he may be a Priest after the order of Aaron nay for none of this tribe served at the Altar Every one in the Common-wealth of Israel might not bee a Priest though the Messiah came of the Tribe of Iudah yet none of that Tribe might serve at the Altar In an armie every one must keepe his station the common Souldier must not bee a Captaine unlesse he be called thereunto a Bow-man must not be a Bill-man unles he be appointed thereunto So is it in a well ordered estate every man must not presume to expound Scripture to Minister the Sacraments to bee a Preacher unlesse hee bee called as Aaron was Vzzah put his hand to the Arke when it was in danger of falling but hee was stricken with sudden death Vzziah being a King presumed to offer incense but he was a Leaper for it all the dayes of his life Then what malepart boldnesse is it for a private man to step up into the Pulpit and to take upon him without warrant to be as GOD's mouth to the people Yet some in a jolly humour have done it whom God hath punished one way or other None of the Tribe of Iudah served at the Altar Let every man abide in that calling wherein God hath set him Let us serve in those places which GOD in wisedome hath allotted to us But though they served not at the Altar yet they served in other functions none of what Tribe so ever of what condition soever must bee idle wee must all serve God in some place or other Some serve as Kings it is a service to be a King The Philosopher calls a King Servum publicum and the Lord himselfe calls David his servant when hee was a King Nebuchadnezar that mightie Monarch was Gods servant Some serve as Counsellours to the King for the good of the common-wealth some serve as Iudges some as Lawyers some as Merchants Clothiers Weavers Husbandmen c. We must all serve